Hampton's Wythe Area Shows Benefits Of Commitment, Work

November 10, 2002|By JOAN KENNEDY Guest Columnist

Hampton's Wythe area has older neighborhoods tackling the hard work of neighborhood revitalization. Investments made by neighborhood residents and city government have produced an impressive list of successes.

Since 1995, 98 blighted structures have been demolished, and 69 properties have been acquired. The Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority is building houses on sites cleared of blighted property. The size and value of the new houses exceed what surrounds them. The first five houses sold quickly to new homeowners.

Housing authority loans and grants have rehabilitated 101 homes.

The housing authority purchased and renovated the Shell Gardens and Monterey apartments. Inside and out, the apartments look good, and residents report that a former nuisance is now an asset to the neighborhood.

The Kenneth Wallace Neighborhood Resource Center replaced a boarded-up building at 2315 Victoria Blvd. The center's design sets a new standard for redevelopment in the neighborhood.

In response to the neighborhood's focus on safety, the building's use includes a police field office. The building's name honors a Hampton police officer killed while working to make the neighborhood safer.

A trailer park on Shell Road was acquired and redeveloped into an attractive storm-water management retention area.

Deteriorated structures at the entrance to Olde Wythe were acquired and demolished, and a new neighborhood entry sign now decorates the site.

The Olde Wythe neighborhood is completing neighborhood-redesign plans to reduce speeding and cut-through traffic, as well as improve the neighborhood's curb appeal, with new landscaping, signs and streetlights. Overlooks on Chesapeake Avenue are being improved to increase pedestrian use.

The Kecoughtan Road corridor study sets a direction for revitalizing declining property along Kecoughtan -- the front door to many neighborhoods in Wythe. Adding trees and sidewalks, removing neighborhood-unfriendly uses and upgrading neighborhood businesses will begin with $1 million in city money.

Zoning-ordinance changes set new standards for in-fill housing and limit the concentration of congregate-care facilities.

The loss of Sentara hospital has been mitigated by reuse of the site for school and community services.

A park was built at Wythe Elementary School.

Community festivals and cleanups are increasing the sense of community in Wythe.

The Wythe revitalization hasn't been easy, quick or sure. To date, neighborhood sweat equity too great to quantify and $6 million in public money have been dedicated to this effort. The right things are being done -- we just need to keep doing more "right" things.

And this demonstrates another lesson that Hampton has learned: Neighborhood work is a slow, messy business, but consistent, long- term commitment to neighborhoods gets results.